Aikship



R.. F.. LEDERER' AIRSHIPIl n FILED DE APPLICATI 26,1919- 1,358,43. Pammsel Nov. 9, @2m

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annua R. F. LEDEHEH.

AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED Danze, I9I9. ,$58,453. Patente@ Nov. 9, 1920.

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A|HSH|P APPLICATION HLED nec.2s.19l9.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

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tllWlTED STAT S Brennan r. marianna,- or nsw Yoan, it. Y.

AIRSHIP. l j

1,358,453 Specification of nett-ers Patent. Patent-@d 9,1920.

Application filed December 26, 1919.

To all fao/'tom it may concern:

Be it known that l, lil-tornino F. Lnnnnnn, citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Airships, of which the tollowing is a specifica tion. i

T his invention relates to airships.

@ne of the objects of my invention is to provide a powerful airship deweloping` great speed and lifting,- power.

Another objectof my invention is to provide an airship in which the thrust of lifting air created by propellers may be fully utilized. j j

Further objects of my invention are to provide a machine of thisdlrind having a plurality of sets of variably arranged planes and a plurality of sets of step-like disposed propelling' means devised in such manneras to cause the air to travel and thrust against first thelower plane andgradnally against the next higher plane until the highest plane is reached. Inthis way the air performs its full duty asto the lifting of the airship.

In addition there are provided longitudinal guiding air ducts giving the airship a greater stability in respect to keeping its direction.

'lhey constitute a rooflilre structure unaffected by air currents which may strike the ship from either side.4

The provisions of otherfair ducts formed between a series of cargo and machinery carrying; compartments is very important. These ducts, in front of which propellers are provided, serve for carrying compressed air, forced therein by the propellers, to the roar of the airship.` The air issuing from the rear of these ducts has a pushing effect while simultaneously creatinga suction of:

partial vacuum into which, figuratively speaking, the airship 1s pulled.

l? or i'acilitating` the starting or lifting ofl the airship andfor braking the .landing operation, vertically .operable propellingV means are provided.

lThe 'provision 'of auxiliary power plants, aside from the individualr power devices provided for each propeller, and means `for facilitating the operation of the propellers by either of the power sources, is another" object of my invention. j

ln order to decrease the resistance toair of the various parts of my airship, air di# Serial No. 847,581.

verting` means are provided in connection withl such air resisting parts.

- @ther and very important objects of my invention are to provide powerful propellers of more than two blades and means for reinforcing and interconnecting the blades at or near their ends, and means for firmly lodging the heavy duty propeller shafts at bothsides of the propeller.

Still further objects ofmy invention are to provide resilientlanding and cbraking devices arranged intermediate between landing wheels. p j

.The foregoing and other objects will be more fully apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which'- Figure l represents a perspective view of my device.

Fig. 2 is a semi-diagrammatical side eleva-` tion of same.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatical view of same showing the arrano'ements of parts.

Fig. l is a detail view of a coupling de-l Fig. 5 is a detail view of a base bearing for a vertical propeller shaft.

8 is a detail view showing the arrangement of power transmissions' for a propeller. j

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a pulling propeller.

" Fig. 8 is a detail view' of a lifting and landingpropeller'. j

Fig. 9 is a detail view of air diverting means.

lleferring to the drawings, l designates the lowest front plane, beneath which the lowest series of pullwpropellers is located. Above plane l is the intermediate front plane 2 and above this is the top plane 3 provided at both ends with ailerons 4i, which of course may be arrar (ged in any convenient manner and need not necessarily form a part of the top pla ze. ldehind thefront planes is a pairof shorter glide planes 5 and 6 facing,` substantially the centers of the spaces betweeny the front plane series.`

Adjacent to the planes 5 and 6 is the second B-plane series, similar to the viront planes consisting of bottom plane 7, intermediateplane 8 and top plane 9 which is provided with ailerons i() and li.

The second series of pull-propellersis mounted between the bottom plane 7 and the Caf:

Y ligand Vwhich may bev coupled at will with vof .a` convenient intermediate plane 8. Next to the second 3-plane series is again a shorter pair of glide-planes, comprising planes 12 and 13 Y The lowest pull-propellerseries comprisesV four fonr-bladepropellers 18, each of which is driven individually by engines or turbines an auxiliary drivingsourceV 2OV by mea-ns power transmission indi- @atedst ai.` j

=Similar1ylarranged yand driven are the four'propellers 22 of the intermediate pullpropeller series,V whichfare' also driven by ndividualfmotors 23 and which also be `operated in emergency Vby "auxiliary power .plants 24 and '25; The last series of pullpropellers comprises kbut three .individual-ly driven propellers 26. Y

In the rearV and above the lowest plane 14 are provided two vvindiv'idually vdriven pushpro ellers 27. f I

. hel pull-propellei` series 18, 22 and 26, are arranged in ,step-like relation to each other and cause the agitated air at this part to" travel from beneathY and bear against planes 1, 5, .8, 13 and finally 16.

:Thus the lifting properties of theair are fully. utilized and increased until leaving the rear .top plane 16. Y

' In addition to the pull and push propeller Y series .there :are .provided three horizontal lifting Vfandlanding Ypropellers 28 of suiiicientsize and power to enable the 'airship torise substantially vertically from the spot and .to fbrake the force of (impact when the airship lands. They, are operated by a v permanent and V,auxiliary ,power source `29.

VAll 'propel'ler`s,` drives' and power plants Y Y Y are emountedliipon the main Vframe work 30,

above which a platform 31 is ,placed` and `which is equipped with a railing 32.

.Atthe front the :platform is built out into threecockpits 33provided with a glass in- Y closure and sea-ts for the pilots, from which therairship isoperated and where observations may be made. l* Y ,l Y

Inthe rear of the cockpits arefthree rows of cars 34, 35and 36 serving as engine, passenger, and. cargo V`spaces Vand which areV .equipped at their front with wedge-shaped projections 37 for decreasing Vthe air resist# ance... n

The cars -aredivided'into compartments Vleaving gangways 38 to provide access tothe different -divisionsfof the'cars.. The center row of cars 35 .is extended at the rear, as indicated at 39, and serves as inechanics" operating and storage room.

Between the three car rows are two long ducts 40, in front of which are placed the two center propellers of the lowest pull propeller series 18. The air forcibly driven by these propellcrs through thc ducts will form in front of the propellers a vacuum into which the airship is, so to speak, pulled while the issuing air at the rear of the ducts will ,push the airship forward.

On top and at the rear ofthe mechanics" car 39 is placed a tail plane 41 adjacent to which are three sets of vertical rudders 42 and horizontal rudders 43 which are pivotally mounted upon a frame work 44. This frame work is held in place by and attached at its center to the rear end of `car 39 and near its ends to girders 45 connected with the main frame work 30 of the airship.

. On top of planes 3, 9, and 1G are three longitudinal gable-shaped ducts 46 open at the front and rear which serve for permitting the air to pass therethrough.

Figuratively speaking the ducts cut into the air thus forming longitudinal guides for the airship which are unaiiected or only slightly affected by transverse currents which may strike the ship.

In the center duct are openings 47 in which the lifting and landing propcllers 28 are mounted.

As said before the first two series of pull propellers have their own individual power plants 19 and 28 while they may be also driven by auxiliary motors 20, 24 and For coupling the propeller shait 48 with either the motor or the auxiliary power a clutch mechanism, shown in Fig. 4, is operated byrhandle 49. Then the handle is turned in the direction of the arrow the clutch 150 coupling the propeller shaft with its individual engine, is disengaged while clutch 5l engages vthe belt pulley driven by the auxiliary motor.

In the position shown the pulley is at rest and in its bearings rotates the sha-ft 48 being driven by its engine '19.

rPhe shaft 48, rotating with the hollow clutch shaft 53 in bearing 54, is also guided in bearings 55 and 56 (Fig. 6) on both sides of the propeller. These bearings are mounted in a frame work 57 in order to give the propeller sutlicient stability, since its dimensions are huge.

In order to prevent any mishap to the propellers due to centrifugal force a reinforcing annular bar or ring 58 interconnects all four blades 59.

These blades are preferably made of broad inclined board or sheets and are attached at tzle hub by two reinforcing plates GO (Fig.

.Similarlyconstructed are the lifting propellers S28 comprising four still larger blades 61 reinforced by ring 62 and plates 63. Their vertical shafts 64rare similarly guided at both top and bottom side of the propeller in bearings 65 and 66 resting in an upper frame 67 and upon a lower frame G8, respectively. The lower portion of the shaft 64 is set into a bearing 69 above which a horizontal dri-ving pulley 70 is keyed to the shaft and is driven by a convenient transmission indicated at 7l.

All bearings are equipped with anti-friction devices as shown in detail in Fig. 5. There are ball, cylindrical or conical bearing members 72, taking up the thrust of the weight, and similar' means 73 taking up the side friction. rthere may be collars 74C attached to the shafts to still further lessen the side friction. Upon the bearing is pref erably mounted an oil receiver 75 which again is provided with a dust proof cover 76.

The entire main structure of the airship rests, when at the ground, upon a plurality of landing wheels 77 arranged in such a way as to slightly give when the airship lands, thus permitting the brake-devices 78, arranged in the spaces between the wheels, to take up the shock and strain, and at the same time to plow themselves into the ground.

The foregoing is only a general description of my device and it is understood that any details may be worked out in many different ways to suit special conditions.

lln order to minimize the resistance of parts exposed to the air pressure while the airship is traveling at great speed, such parts or constructive details are either equipped with wedge-shaped shields as shown in Fig. 9 or are built in such or similar form as indicated at 79 in Fig. 'T

Having thus described my invention in broad lines, and reserving for myself the right to Amalte any alterations, changes or additions in its construction, what l wish to cover by Letters Patent and what .l claim is:

l. An airship having a plurality of groups of planes consisting of three groups of three planes and two groups of two planes, said two-plane groups arranged intermediately between the three-plane groups, a group of four engines placed below the first three-plane group, another group of four engines placed above the lowest plane of the center three-plane group and a group of three engines placed above the interina -diate plane of the last threewplane group,

and two end engines above the lowest plane of the last three-plane group, triangular ducts disposed transversely to and above the plane groups and helicopters arranged within one of the ducts.

2. An airship having a plurality ofsets intermediatel between the threeolane sets a group of power driven propellers in front and below the front plane set, another pro peller group disposed above the lowest plane of the center plane set, a third propeller group below the upper plane of the rear plane set, and a fourth propeller group above the lowest plane of said last plane set, triangular ducts disposed longitudinally with the airship body and above the plane sets, helicopters arranged within the center duct adapted to lift the airship in vertical direction.

An airship having three three-plane sets and two two-plane sets the latter arranged intermediately between the former, three groups of engine driven propeliers associated with the three-plane sets and arranged in ay step-like fashion, adapted to throw air from the lowest front plane to the next higher plane of the adjacent plane set and subsequently to the highest rear plane.

4. An airship as set forth in claim B, having a plurality of longitudinal air ducts arranged above its planes and helicopters provided within one of the ducts for the pur pose described.

5. An airship having three three-plane sets and two two-plane sets arranged intermediately between the former, groups of motor driven propellers disposed intermediately between individual planes and the plane sets, air ducts above the planes, helicopters associated with one of the ducts, a group of longitudinally disposed cars disposed below the planes, and having passages between them.

6. ln combination with an airship as set forth in claim` 5, propeller shaft supports arranged at both sides of the propellers.

ln combination with an airship as set forth in claim 5, auxiliary power plants for driving said propellers when their individual motors become useless, and means for engaging said propellers with either their individual motors or the said auxiliary power plants, substantially as described.

8. lfn combination with an airship as set forth in claim 5, wedge-like extensions provided in front of said cars for the purpose and substantially as described.

9. An airship comprising three sets of planes composed of three individual planes, the top planes having ailerons, two sets of shorter planes comprising two individual planes arranged between the first sets, a balancing short single rear plane, three sets a plurality of landing wheels and a 'pluralty of resilient landing brake devices arranged between said landing wheels.

Signed at New York city, in the county 10 of New York, and State of New York, this 27th day of October, A. D. 1919.

RICH. F. LEDERER. 

